Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 20, 2025 by Barbara Harper

I haven’t been online as much as usual this week, due to being busy with other things. But here are a few good reads I found:

Reading as Rebellion, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “I know the stats. I’ve heard the stories. But I believe we’re humans, not robots. Trends aren’t determinative. We make choices. We have agency. Which is why I refuse to bow to the fatalism that marks too many takes on the decline in reading—the insultingly low expectations of teachers and commentators who throw up their hands and surrender the next generation to the power of the cultural tides. I want you to rebel. That’s right. In today’s world, reading is an act of holy insurgency.”

How to Avoid the Comparison Trap with help from The Chronicles of Narnia.

Is Christian Antisemitism on the Rise? This article not only deals with that question but also discusses what is and is not antisemitism.

Male Friendship Is Declining. Wives Can Help, HT to Challies. “I was grateful for him considering our family, but that conversation gave me pause. Why did my husband seem to think he’d be letting our family down if he spent a weekend with friends?”

Just Ask, HT to Challies. “I’ve said it before, but I think it bears repeating: don’t be afraid to ask your friend about how they are doing in their grief over losing a loved one…even if it’s been years or decades since their loved one died.”

Violence and Technology, HT to Challies. “For someone like Kirk, who became a larger than life Internet figure, literally someone lampooned by South Park, he would seem unreal in a sense, mediated through a thousantd YouTube videos. A figment of celebrity and the digital gaze of viewers. Not a father (which he was). Not a husband (which he was). But an image to be torn down symbolically. And this is only possible because his humanity had been slowly divorced from his digital image.”

God is not looking for Christians with great power or influence but those who are faithful to his word and his name.–Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 13, 2025 by Barbara Harper

I hope you have a great Saturday! There are a few good reads here if you have time.

Four Prayer Responses to the Murder of Charlie Kirk, HT to Tim Challies, who has curated several posts on different aspects of Kirk’s murder here.

I don’t often link to Facebook posts, but this one shared by a friend from author Tricia White Priebe points out how rejoicing over Charlie Kirk’s murder shows society’s lack of value of human dignity.

O Lord, Heal Our Land. “Anyone who lived through the late 1960s and early 1970s, as I did, can see the parallels between then and now. And yesterday’s assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah has left us all stunned, wondering about our own future as a nation.”

Bible Reading as a Blessing, Not a Burden, HT to Challies. “I loathe the times I’m distracted by a screen, or a crick in the neck, or an overly groggy eye. Or even worse, when the pillow seems more pleasing. I suspect I’m not alone in my laments and loathes. And I bet you want to hang on the word of God, too.”

How to Rightly Train Your Affections, HT to Challies. “While human preferences for food or favorite football teams may be value neutral, preferences are not always so. We are commanded by God to prefer certain things. Or to shift again to the language of affections, God calls his people to rejoice in, love, and desire certain things and to despise other things. Our affections, in other words, are not always value neutral. We are responsible for training them according to the revealed will of God.”

Making Space for Others, HT to the Story Warren. “Let’s scoot over. Make room. Here, take this spot and sit by us. If you are walking into a space as a new student, neighbor, or church visitor, those can be some of the kindest words ever spoken. As a woman in my mid-fifties, I’m shocked that the awkwardness of junior high floods back so quickly when I am in a new situation. And, as a ministry leader who usually runs the room, I can forget how it feels to walk into an unfamiliar one.”

Go Ahead, Bring a Knife to a Gunfight. “God calls each one of us to battle for the right and against the wrong, and it’s a simple fact that many of us are not equipped with the kind of weapon we would prefer to carry into such a conflict. Many of us look at the weapons wielded by others and wish we had theirs instead of ours. Yet in the battle for God’s cause, he always means for us to put to use the weapon we have on hand with the conviction that he will bless our efforts, no matter how weak or paltry those weapons may seem.”

The Good Always the Enemy of the Best. “Somewhere along the way, despite our desire to give our children the best, we can find ourselves spending vast amounts of time, energy, and money pursuing the good instead. How does this happen? We become deceived. Deceived by culture. Deceived by our well-meaning friends. Deceived, sometimes, even by Christians.”

The Most Exasperating and Least Rewarding. I’ve been pondering similar thoughts recently. “If you move to a new town and search for a new church, it’s unlikely you will find one that offers everything you’d prefer a church to offer—every doctrine, every emphasis, every association, every ministry, every preference. You may love the music, but wish there was a greater emphasis on liturgy. You may appreciate the effort that goes into evangelism, but lament the lack of effort that goes into youth ministry. The preaching may be just what you are after, but the small-group ministry is sputtering. Yet churches are bundled—you have to weigh the weaknesses against the strengths and the desirable qualities against the undesirable. Perfection isn’t an option.”

Journaling God’s Faithfulness: 10 Questions to Develop This Faith-Building Habit. If you’d like to keep a spiritual journal, this post has a lot of good suggestions for what to write about.

Is Being Pro-Life Really Just “Pro-Forced Birth?” HT to Challies. No, and this article explains why. “When it comes to moral issues, like abortion, we must always be alert for the word games, rhetorical ploys, and manipulative language that distort the truth and make something evil look good.”

Don’t Do Everything for Your Kids, HT to Challies. It’s interesting that I have seen this theme in a number of blog posts lately. “What I’d like to suggest today is that just as important as giving your kids opportunities to play soccer or violin or go to that birthday party or go to the park or do that activity or play that game with them is to allow yourself time to read the Bible or a book or to spend time with your spouse. It’s possible to give too much to your children, sacrificially, at the expense of your wellbeing and the relationship with your spouse (if you have one). And that will not serve your children, yourself, or your marriage well.”

The closer we are to the Shepherd,
the safer we are from wolves.
Unknown

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads found this week:

When Will Meta Stop Trying to Hurt Children? HT to Challies. This is disturbing. “Why would Meta provide AI chatbot guidance for its chatbots with the rationale: ‘It is acceptable to engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual?‘ It’s really as simple as it is disgusting: more engagement = more money. Let me explain.”

Are You Correctable? HT to Challies. “When someone corrects me, I automatically feel a little defensive. I think of all the reasons why I’m right and why the situation is more complicated than it appears. I want to come out looking like I’m not so bad, and that others would understand if they were in my shoes. I’m not alone. It’s not easy to receive correction from others. But being correctable is essential to our maturity and growth.”

Significant Others: Living Selfless While Single. “As a single woman, the sting of feeling unseen, unvalued, or overlooked can feel enormous. When you watch others receiving what you long for—and then go home to an empty house with no significant other to meet you at the door—it’s easy to feel . . . well, insignificant. But Scripture shows that true significance doesn’t come from being at the center of someone’s world.”

Seven Reasons (Almost) Every Man Should (Try to) Get Married, HT to Challies. I’ve seen a lot lately on how our shallower and more impersonal online tendencies seem to be eroding our propensity for deeper, long-term relationships. This article gives reasons why marriage, a particular type of deeper relationship, is a good thing.

The Better Way of Christian Parenting, HT to Challies. “Rather than grant your child’s every desire, your job as a parent is to use your God-given authority to redirect those desires toward righteousness (love of God and neighbor) and to train your child to righteously handle the common human experience of coping with the disappointment of unfulfilled desires.”

In a similar vein, Do You Love Your Children Enough to Displease Them? HT to Challies. “One of the hardest parts of parenting is displeasing our children. This often happens when we tell our kids ‘no’ or hold them accountable for their actions. We naturally want to please our children and give them good gifts, which reflects the character of our giving God (Matt. 7:11). However, this good desire can go too far and cause damage without proper boundaries.”

Parents, We’re Doing Too Much. “We’re too often in constant contact with our children. They don’t have any opportunities to learn critical thinking skills because they text us every question in their brains to get quick advice about what to say, which door to walk through, which paper to fill out, and on and on forever. Our kids need chances to assess situations for themselves, to reason through even very complicated scenarios, to rely on the Lord more than they rely on us. Kids need to have chances to make mistakes, to get embarrassed, to deal with drama, to learn that they can handle life.”

Is Spoiling Your Grandkids Blessing Them? “‘Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly’ (Prov. 17:6). Few things in life compare to the privilege of being a grandma, of holding in your arms a baby that was born to your own son or daughter. It really does feel like winning a crown! All other interests are set aside when there is an opportunity to spend time with that darling baby. Being a grandmother is truly a privilege. But have you ever stopped to think, Christian grandmother, about the huge responsibilities that come with this privilege?”

“I cannot trifle with the evil that killed my best Friend. I must be holy for His sake. How can I live in sin when He has died to save me from it?”–Charles Spurgeon.

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Barbara Harper

I’m still behind in my blog reading from when the family was here, but I found these good reads this week:

The Transformative Power of Love: A Story of Umbrellas and Grace. “Mama smoked constantly. Her TV blared at all hours of the night. My peaceful home would be turned upside down. So I bought a “No Smoking” sticker for the car. My feeble attempt to make things comfortable before stepping into my role as the hands and feet of Jesus. Mama needed to know God’s love. But my response to the situation revealed I also needed to experience God’s love on a deeper level.”

The Times When You Are Most Vulnerable. “Our minds don’t always work very well when they are under duress. Our emotions can overwhelm us and our instincts become unreliable. Just when we are most needy, we become most vulnerable—vulnerable to making poor decisions and acting in ways that are unwise or even unbiblical.”

Encouragement In a World of Opinions. “Unfortunately, we live in a world where our own opinions have grown to idol status. Social media has us sharing our opinions as if the world just really needs to know our every thought. We’ve come to believe that what’s on our mind is what this world needs, and it affects the way we interact with others. We’re quick to criticize. Quick to make judgments. To offer up ‘unpopular opinions,’ or to add our voice to a shouting throng of opinion spewers.”

We Were Made for Less, HT to the Story Warren. “A popular line in Christian contemporary songs is ‘You were made for more.’ The audience I conjure is the careworn mom with her hands in dishwater or a man aimlessly walking through a dreary urban landscape. But don’t we all suspect from time to time that God’s plan for us involves more glamor, appreciation, and gratification than we’re currently experiencing? Actually, we might do better to think in terms of ‘less.’”

The Gift of Grace Wrapped Up in a Simple Greeting. “Without literally using the words, what would ‘grace to you’ sound like in the paper towel aisle at Wal-Mart? In the hallways of a Sunday-morning church? I am pondering the notion that my greetings, though not inspired as Paul’s were, can truly mediate grace to my sisters in Christ.”

How Jesus Reached the Pharisees. “The Pharisees are, in many ways, the main bad guys of the gospel accounts. They were the ones who rejected Jesus because He called out their sin, and they were the ones leading the charge to have Him arrested and crucified. They were evil, and in some ways they were the worst kind of evil, because they were the kind of evil that genuinely thought they were good. The Pharisees are the foil for the true purity and holiness of Jesus. They seem to be almost without hope. But there is one little verse in Scripture that throws this nice, clean little paradigm on its head.”

Dealing With the Praise of Men, HT to Challies. “The popularity [Spurgeon] experienced meant that he had to be on constant guard against pride. This was a battle that he fought throughout his 40 years of pastoral ministry.”

The High Price of Watching Nudity, and twelve reasons not to. HT to Challies.

You Can’t Bubble Wrap Your Boy: And That’s a Good Thing. “Not all of our sons are this drawn to danger (thank you, Jesus!), but I pray that all of them realize that following Jesus is the grand adventure their hearts were made to crave. I believe that there is something inside every man, and therefore something inside every boy, that longs to push past self-centered living and give their lives to something bigger. One of the greatest challenges of being a boy mom is fighting the temptation to envelop my sons in perpetual Bubble Wrap and instead accept the hard-to-swallow truth that my boys were made for more than safe. “

Questions Every Pastor on Social Media Should Ask Themselves, HT to Challies. These questions are good for all of us.

Keep out of your life all that will keep Christ out of your mind (Unknown).

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the good reads found this week:

A Biblical Message for Children of Aging Parents. “What I’ve seen time and again is that even the most loving, conscientious children are often riddled with guilt — especially when decisions feel impossibly hard. But Scripture offers clarity, comfort, and guidance for those walking this sacred path.”

To Be Almost Saved Is to Be Completely Lost. “I sometimes wonder how many people in your church and mine have heard the gospel, have thought about its claims, and have perhaps even found themselves agreeing with many of them—yes, Jesus existed; yes, he died for sins; yes, he died for people like me—but have still refused to trust in him. It is one thing to assent to facts, but an entirely different thing to trust in Jesus.”

Learning to Have Conversations with God. “I have often spoken to people who struggle to know how to integrate prayer and Scripture in such a way that they can carry on a conversation with the Lord.” Tim Challies gives some tips for doing that.

One Pentecost Was Enough, HT to Challies. “The lyrics repeatedly declare, ‘We need another Pentecost.’ This simple refrain raises an important theological question: Is this how we should think about Pentecost? Should Christians be praying for another one? Or has God already given us what we’re asking for?”

6 Ways to Lead Better Bible Study Discussions, HT to Challies. I wince when the primary question in a Bible study is “What does this passage mean to you?” This article shares better ways of thinking through the text and drawing out its meaning.

Am I a Mission Colonizer? HT to Challies. “Many people believe that a missionary should never go in the first place. Or that if he does, his work should only be humanitarian. He should never dare to try to persuade someone to change their beliefs. That’s sort of the mantra of our culture today, isn’t it? You can believe whatever you want as long as you don’t impose it on someone else. Kind of ironic, actually. The people who say we shouldn’t impose our beliefs on other people are, in fact, imposing that very belief on other people. They are making personal autonomy the highest value. But who gets to decide that’s the highest value?”

How to Execute: The Discipline of Following Through, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “Most people can make a plan. Planning is fun. You get to dream, scheme, and visualize a future where everything is awesome. But executing plans? A lot of people struggle with that.”

Thank God my salvation does not depend on my frail hold on him,
but his mighty grasp on me. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Here are some of the posts that stood out to me this week:

None Too Old to Serve the King, HT to Chalmers Blog. “I love this scene with the feeble follower and the deposed king. What a touching moment for David, and a beautiful invitation to Barzillai. It reminds me that I serve the greater King David, and stirs in me the desire to “appear with him in glory” as he rides across the Jordan (Colossians 3:4). Does it do the same for you? I want us to imitate this elderly saint by meeting the King in the wilderness and serving him until our dying day.”

Reading the Bible for the Ten Thousandth Time. “By instinct we know that first-time readers of the Bible need guidance. But long-time readers need help too. In this article we’ll explore some of the ways to combat boredom and lethargy for experienced Bible readers.”

A Biblical Template for Prayers of Confession from Daniel 9. HT to Knowable Word. “For God’s promises and sure word aren’t a reason for inactivity and passivity. They’re fuel for confident prayer.” Though the author makes a case for corporate confession, these principles are true for private prayer as well.

All Those Things We Never Did, HT to Challies. “There remains a powerful temptation in midlife to nurse and rehearse dreams unfulfilled. The loop snags and captures with: We never did this, we never went here, we never bought this . . . The all those things we never did is a thorny and fruitless path, often culminating in a sour, self-centered existence. For the Christian, all those things we never did may humbly be replaced with: Your kingdom come; your will be done.“

The Picture on the Nightstand, HT to Challies. “When a marriage is strong, it is a fortress. It shields what is fragile. Spouses are safe. Children thrive. Its strength creates overflowing benefit into entire communities. When a spouse breaks the marriage covenant, the impact is brutal. It exploits vulnerability. Spouses bleed. Children bear the weight. And the effects ripple outward.”

Should You Take Your Children to a Funeral? “Whatever the size or venue, here’s a question for parents to consider: should you take your children to a funeral? My answer is a sure yes, and here are several reasons why.”

The Rare Jewel of Contentment in Childlessness. “Paul’s testimony of contentment encouraged Bethany and me to ask God for that kind of contentment in our state of childlessness. Jeremiah Burroughs describes Christian contentment as ‘that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.’”

Silent Women, Speaking Women, HT to Challies. This is one of the clearest explanations I’ve seen on the Bible passages about whether and when women are to teach in church.

Beware the New Notebook Energy. “A new planner gives me an avenue to blame my lack of follow-through on a bad system. If I can blame the system, that saves me from the day-in and day-out-ness of life. I call this New Notebook Energy: fleeing actual responsibility and good habits in favor of reorganizing and starting again.”

Ways to See and Support Foster Families. “All of a sudden, we were a part of the foster system, which came with all of the staff, the rules and regulations, the visits with social workers, the paperwork, the doctor’s visits, and so much more. I quickly realized that before this happened, I didn’t understand how much support the foster families in our church probably needed from me but hadn’t been getting. So I thought I would outline a few things that each of us can do to help foster families in our churches.”

Ten minutes’ praying is better than a year’s murmuring. Charles Spurgeon

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Here are some thought-provoking reads found this week:

The Change Along the Way, HT to Challies. “Ever since mankind was in the Garden, and that fatal first sin was committed, we have tried to shortcut the goals set before us. As with our first mother, we are fickle creatures, seeking always the final product without the process in between. . . .Even our Saviour was tempted in the wilderness to escape the way of the cross for the kingdoms of the world, for the devil knew this inherent weakness in mankind. We long for the glory, and if we can avoid the cross, all the better.”

Can Faith and Fear Coexist in the Life of a Believer? “What separates a person of faith from the crowd? It’s not a lack of fear. The faithful choose to listen to their faith instead of their fears. Faith assures us that God’s invisible presence and power accompanies us as we obey His voice.”

How to Have a Soft Heart. “You can probably think of women who have been cut by life and now wear their pain as sharp edges. But you probably also know women who have walked through as much difficulty and somehow emerged softer. Gentler. More gracious. More trusting. Have you ever wondered how to end up like them?”

Do You Talk Too Much, or not Enough? “The danger in too much talking arises when the entertainment value lies in the drama. And when we enjoy talking, it’s easy for the conversation to drift there. Here are some danger zones where many words can lead to sin.”

Does God Really Care What You Wear This Summer? “Perhaps you’ve wondered it too: does God really care what I wear this summer? Before diving in to answer that question, it may be helpful to consider another: do I really want to know the heart of God on this topic, or am I merely looking for affirmation of my already-formed opinions? In other words, what do I want more? An answer to the question ‘Does God really care what I wear?’ Or am I more concerned with how close I can get to a perceived line of immodesty without going over? “

Dear Weary Caregiver, HT to the Story Warren. “But for those (like me) who need regular reminding, here are three lessons God is teaching me about himself and his ways as I care for my boy. I hope they encourage you as you continue to lay down your life in the service of another.”

Ten Reasons Why I Love Verse by Verse Exposition, HT to Challies. “What is verse by verse exposition? This is when a pastor preaches a book of the Bible, reading and teaching each verse in order to expose it’s meaning. Sure, this can be done poorly, but I think that this approach is super helpful for the church and really beneficial for the preacher. I want to outline ten reasons why I love verse by verse exposition.”

How to Guide Your Children Through the Digital Age, HT to Challies. “Technology is everywhere. There’s no escaping its influence—not only in our own lives but also in the lives of our children. Here are three powerful ways technology is shaping your children and how you can help them respond with wisdom and discernment.”

A Plea to Biblical Counselors Regarding Autism, HT to Challies. “Recently, I’ve heard biblical counselors make unhelpful comments about autism, namely that it’s just a “Big Pharma” money-making scheme. They insist that diagnostic criteria are too vague, making an autism diagnosis too subjective. They even say that biblical counselors have better answers, as if they are better suited to “treat” autism. Biblical counselors, I beg you, do not go down this road, as it will lead to irreparable damage to individuals and families impacted by autism. This road represents a profound misunderstanding of what autism is, how it is diagnosed, and the medical side effects with which these families suffer.”

God sees trouble and grief, which we can lay in His hands where it is safe,
and where we are safe. Corrie ten Boom

Laudable Linkage

Posted on August 2, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Some of the noteworthy posts found this week:

Your Fig Leaves Are Showing! Why Your Christian Home Is not as Close as it Should Be. Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover the shame they felt after they sinned. “That ancient impulse hasn’t changed. Sin still causes shame. Shame still creates barriers. And we still reach for fig leaves. Today, our fig leaves are more sophisticated.”

Transhumanism, Christian Productivity, and Why I Don’t Use the Term “Second Brain.” I’ve been concerned about the transcendence of AI affecting our ability to think and process. But I didn’t realize those behind it have a larger plan. “Forte’s ultimate vision for personal knowledge management is a digital Tower of Babel. This is the philosophy of transhumanism. And it might sound a little kooky at first until you realize he is far from the only one who thinks this way about technology and personal improvement.”

Everything Matters. “Just mark it down right now: the devil is a liar. He says our sin is so small that it won’t affect us, and our good works are so insignificant that they won’t impact anyone else. But there is no such thing as an action without a reaction. In God’s kingdom, everything matters. Here’s how…”

Did Abraham Get Away with Lying? I had never realized all these ramifications of Abraham’s lies.

Ansel Adams, AI, and the Essence of Creation, HT to Challies. “It seems to me that part of the essence of true creation is labor, striving, wrestling, and overcoming. It calls forth the virtue of courage to beat back the doubts and insecurities and fears, and surge up something fresh and true. It demands a presence in the world, a willingness to interact with creation and people, to touch things and be affected viscerally. This is true whether your creation is painting or photography or film or poetry or fiction or nonfiction. The human element matters.”

Singing Anyway, HT to Challies. “I do not doubt that each of the kids singing on stage had reasons not to sing. There were likely moms who forgot to make Easter baskets, dresses that felt too tight, shirt tags that itched, parents who were fighting in the kitchen that morning, and siblings who were annoying during the ride to the service. But they showed up anyway. They sang anyway. And because they decided to show up and sing, countless people were moved toward a posture of praise.”

Christian Cultural Bias in Missions is a Real Challenge. “Missionaries are tempted to recreate the church culture they admire back home. One reason this happens is that they have not taken the time to understand the differences between their cultural Christian experiences back home and what the Bible actually teaches. They don’t realize how much their idea of what a local church should look like comes from cultural expectations or simple habits (often unconscious).”

What’s Going On In Your Pastor’s Mind? “It is one of the strengths, or perhaps one of the weaknesses, of the human mind that it can have different “tracks” playing at the same time. Even as one series of words is emerging from a person’s mouth, an entirely different series of words may be flitting through his brain. He can have an entire monologue playing internally, even as another is playing externally.”

What if God ruined your plans
so your plans wouldn’t ruin you?
J. C. Ryle

Laudable Linkage

Posted on July 26, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads found this week:

The Power of a Courageous Word. “Sometimes it is the simplest of matters that bear the greatest fruit. A simple deed, a simple gift, a simple word can make all the difference. They can even begin a cascade that changes lives and changes the world.”

The Preacher’s Trust, HT to Challies. This article focuses on preachers, but I have found its principles true for writing and ministering for God in any way. Instead of being crushed by our inadequacies or inflated with self-reliance, we put our trust in God, who works through His Word and Spirit.

Protesting Well. This is the fourth in a series on protest, dealing particularly with what to do when you disagree with the authorities in your life.

Lessons from Nathan’s Rebuke: Effective Strategies for Christian Confrontation, HT to Challies. It’s not pleasant, but sometimes rebuke is called for when a professing Christian sins. This article draws principles for what to say based on Nathan’s rebuke of King David.

Please, Don’t Say These Things to Women Who Have Miscarried, HT to Challies. “When a couple experiences a miscarriage, there are tons of responses like these flung in their direction like darts. Those who say them don’t mean for their words to attack, but they often do. They bring into question not only the grief of the mother and father, but also the value of the baby who was lost.”

Explain Up, Don’t Dumb Down. “I’m a big advocate of using big words with little kids. Our tendency, of course, is to use very simple terminology with children. It seems to me like we do this out of two desires.”

Just and Gentle Parenting. “Dear dads and moms, don’t we long to embody Scripture’s perfect balance — to parent between the poles, to divinely blend grace and law, and so to image God and the gospel to our children? Gentle parenting is not one of only two options. Neither is it the best, most biblical option.”

Just Diagnosed: Questions Parents of Neurodivergent Kids Should Ask Next, HT to the Story Warren. “For years, we focused on ‘fixing’ his social skills, handwriting, and attention deficits so he’d be successful in school. We’re thankful these early interventions continue to bear fruit. Still, the best gift we gave our son came when we stopped emphasizing what was wrong and began to focus instead on God’s good purpose.”

If your path had been smooth, you would have depended upon your own surefootedness; but God roughened the path, so you have to take hold of His hand. T. D. Talmage

Laudable Linkage

Posted on July 19, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Here are some good reads found this week:

Sometimes, Worship Should Be Hard. “We plan our worship services several months in advance. We choose themes for each service and discuss how to introduce them. Last Sunday, our chosen theme was ‘Our Good God.’ In the canon of worship themes we use, the goodness of God is not as difficult to explain as something like transcendence or immanence. But on Sunday, July 6, 2025, it was hard. As we filed into the church and greeted one another, nearly 100 people were still missing due to flash floods in Texas.”

Trying to Make Sense of Bad Things that Happen, HT to Challies. “Most people find it pretty easy to accept that the good things which happen are from the hand of God. But we find it hard to accept any bad, tragic, or painful experiences that come our way. Can they really be from God? Are they really under his governance? Can they really be for a good purpose? The Bible says, ‘Yes, they are. Yes, they can.'”

Boaz: A Pillar of Leadership. Boaz is one of my favorite OT people. “Boaz wasn’t a king, prophet, or warrior. He was a businessman and landowner, yet he exemplified godly leadership. His leadership wasn’t flashy, but it was faithful. It wasn’t about personal gain but about a godly impact. So, what made Boaz a leader worth emulating?”

Leviticus and the Right Hand of Fellowship, HT to Challies. “What we fail to realise is the catechetical nature of the book of Leviticus. As the centre point (and, I would argue, climax) of the Torah or Teaching, its goal is not to simply lay down a law to live by, or to provide fodder for debates over what verses we use. The goal of Leviticus is teaching. And it is hands on teaching much like that of a missionary landing in foreign culture.”

Staying Afloat in Summer. A mom of a newly-graduated high school student looks back at ways she wished she had handled summers.

When You’re Dreading Monday Mornings, HT to Redeeming Productivity. “Maybe you’re currently in a job you once longed for—even prayed for—and couldn’t wait to start, but now you have the Sunday scaries, dragging yourself out of bed on Monday morning only to count down the days until Friday. Or maybe you’re in a job you never really wanted but took out of necessity, expecting to move on to something different after a short time—but you haven’t. So what do you do when you’re no longer excited to go to work?”

Daily prayers and religious readings and churchgoing are
necessary parts of the Christian life.
We have to be continually reminded of what we believe.
C. S. Lewis